Travelling with a Tumour Hits Differently

Caution to the wind (sorry for the outright pun) needs to be adhered to if you know that your tumour is cancer related, and you want to take to the friendly skies so to speak. Not knowing as to whether or not your tumour (in any part of your anatomy - the uterus/womb in my case) is cancerous, precancerous or even benign is more naturally anxiety-inducing.

Travelling with such (even interstate, no matter the flights duration to your destination) hits you differently in an indescribable way. An inspiring way. A more personally-invested way.

Yours truly is the foolish one for not speaking to her gynaecologist to head on a recent day trip from Sydney to Melbourne (Australia), prior to a forthcoming surgical procedure and hospital admission to remove said tumour; as well as amplifying this experience when my family successfully (metaphorically speaking) twisted my arm to head on a 6-8 hour road-trip interstate (back to Victoria again - this time country Victoria though) the very next day; to enjoy the cozy ambience and creature comforts of a four-bedroom eco-lodge cabin with eight of us in total, with a four-legged furry friend coming along for the ride.

Speaking of our four-legged furry friends for a moment. Moving to another suburb in your local area to dog-sit not long before taking two interstate trips in a row in the space of a week is another form of travelling. This particular dog would (no joke) would come inside the bathroom while I was sitting on you know what, and he would put one of his paws on the tumour sweet spot - exactly where that particular tumour is currently.

It felt (and still kind of feels) super unwise to board a flight (albeit only an hour-long flight) in economy class for this day-long adventure, while being fit enough to walk 30,000 steps simultaneously. Who cares. When you have a tumour, you want to make the most of your life on a supercharged level, just in case the general anaesthesia takes you into the afterlife, so to speak. (Even though a hysteroscopic polypectomy with curettage is a minor procedure; I will still be put to sleep for the duration of it, and there are risks accompanied with all surgeries and hospital admissions, despite being a self-funded private patient on this occasion.)

When you have a known tumour in your body, flight delays (no matter the duration) seem trivial and insignificant; and the security staff at the screening point seem to be calmer around you, because you are calmer and more relaxed.

You soften. Everything around you softens, and hence you easily surrender into what is. The joy and gratitude of stepping foot in an airport cannot wipe that smile off your face. Others in a similar vote may have fear, a lack of time or money to enjoy the gift of hopping on a flight and enjoying that wanderlust. Lost luggage (not an issue for a day trip, and family took great care of me for the eco-lodge adventure). You do not jump out of your seat like ants in your pants the moment the seatbelt sign is switched off once the aircraft arrives at the gate upon arrival, both at your destination of travel, and when heading back home either. And why would you?

If you have the means, you splurge a bit more at the airport, enjoying the finest to eat and/or drink while you are waiting for boarding and take off. Buying a mindfulness magazine, and a find a word booklet (no matter the cost) also became my raison d'être. Frivolity is tossed.

It is wise to drink ample amounts of filtered water when flying, so to stay hydrated, and the cabin pressure and air is not ideal for a body with at least one tumour, even though you should speak to your doctor if you have cancer, and the first two weeks post-op are critical. The downsides of flying did not reach my psyche. Making the most of life pre-op certainly blossomed.

There is a mega-greater appreciation and presence while travelling with a tumour in your body. All of your five (if not six) senses are amplified, and you really take in all of the sights, sounds and smells of your destination - even if such said destination was your previous home at one point in life; especially while travelling solo in such circumstances. While in the company of others, you just go with the flow. If the family want to watch the footy on the big screen, and you do not give two hoots about such a past-time; you just surrender into it. Join them, or just wander off into nature.

The feeling is so different, more so on the flight back. Same with road trips in this case. It was awesome, appropriate and fitting to pay for the lunch of three people (even giving the dog a little bit of my chicken) on the way back home. Even if the rain sets you back for a bit, who cares.

I do not know about you, yet there always seems to be a bit of a mixed energy on the plane, where frequent flyers who are sick of planes and processed food, safety demonstrations and captain announcements cross paths with the excitement of people who rarely travel, and they are heading on their annual holiday, of which such an individual may have saved up long and hard for. The mood is definitely more mellow with those passengers on any given flight who are heading home from a leisurely experience, while others are travelling on business (forced or otherwise). Excitement reigns for those holiday-makers, and the latter is now true when you are travelling with a tumour in your body. With the latter, the realisation sinks in that you may not wake up from the surgery to remove such; and if you are fortunate enough to wake up from the operation, and the operation was a success; the next time you travel, you will be travelling tumour-free, once you have given yourself the time and space to fully recover, and to allow that particular part of your anatomy to fully heal.

The Internet connection on the cabin trip with family for three nights and four days after the Melbourne day trip was sporadic and unreliable. I did not receive any text messages on my phone until my final night away. With a tumour, that was a divine message from the cosmos/universe to slow down, be fully present, and have a full-time holiday prior to surgery for a change. And use up all of the firewood available. There was a small amount of initial stress and anxiety in delegating 10-hours of my allocated work to other freelancers; yet as the latter was sorted, the Internet connection in this country town near the mountains began to improve. A few family members were upset that they could not get onto the Internet, yet soon enough they took inspiration from yours truly to detach from the outcome and enjoy being surrounded by acres of lands and nature, and the lush autumn leaves that are never seen back home in Sydney, with no skyscrapers or high rise apartments in sight. The owner of the cabin also owns two sausage dogs, and they added to the positive energy and vibes on this particular holiday that I was flip-flopping over (like a ping-pong match in my head - should I go or not) because of a tumour. Creative ideas still surfaced while travelling interstate when unwell, now speaking (and sharing) from experience.

Just have a pillow with you while travelling in a motor vehicle in the back seat, with an affectionate dog by your side. (Or not. Just be comfortable, and stop for walks and stops for you know what.)

In short, travelling with a tumour humbles you.

In addition to checking in with your doctor, particularly on the flying aspect; if you do need to travel when you have a tumour in your body - make sure you bring copies of your medical records when travelling if you are not well and energetic. Some travel insurance policies may not cover pre-existing conditions like cancer. Before you go, do your research and be prepared. If you need to take medications and supplements with you, ensure that such pills remain in their original box, and ideally placed in a clear bag (no different to what hospitals require when admitted for surgery), to make things easier while going through the security screening process. On that, it is also wise to obtain a current letter from your GP/Primary Care Doctor with a list of the supplements and medications you need to take, and why.

Then again, on both of these recent interstate trips while unwell with a nasty tumour in my womb; my periods were well and truly over at this point, yet the tumour did make me bleed some more. That did not stop me from being adventurous, and in fully living in the moment - something that travelling aims to achieve. In such cases, know where the nearest supermarket or pharmacy is, for when you might need to stock up on some more pads and/or pain relief. There are solutions to every single challenge, even in a more trance like state - a key benefit of travelling interstate and overseas. Love it.

The beauty about travelling, and going on a nice wander to clear the head and stay in your heart with a diagnosed tumour (or any other illness, if you want to, need it, and are able to travel in such difficult circumstances) is that if flying and spending time at busy airports is not feasible; then why not enjoy a cruise (if you do not get sea sick), road trip (if you do not get motion sickness) or even a train trip might be gentler on your body, although the trade off with anything but flying is the time factor. Depending on the creature comforts of the mode of transport to arrive to your destination; you are arriving with your key problem in style.

Your job is just to relax and surrender if you are well enough to travel with a tumour in your body. Bon Voyage and safe travels, as they say. Wishing you great health once you pass through the eye of the needle.

Of course, like many jet setters and passionate travellers alike (otherwise you would not be reading this article); your mind begins to plan the next trip, and that is more significant with a tumour in your body. I've even gone as far as creating a new savings account, and calling it my travel fund. Cannot wait. Yours truly is as excited as a human can be around this lifestyle choice. Maybe as excited as a dog who welcomes you back home.

"It's amazing where I'm standing, there's a lot that we can give. This is ours just for the moment, there's a lot that we can give." - Lyrics from Life Is Beautiful by Vega4.